Celebrity Homes

Daniele and Susanna Verdi

When you walk into a home full of incredible artwork, magnificent sculptures and exquisite antiques it would be easy to assume that it would not be the sort of place where you can kick off your shoes and curl up on the sofa, or let children make a mess. But here in Daniele and Susanna Verdi’s London townhouse all that and more is true. “First and foremost, this is a family home,” says father of three Daniele. “But we have chosen to surround our children [Ottavia, Arianna, and Tommaso] and ourselves with things that inspire us; I think that art is therapeutic. Apart from their aesthetic value, most of the objects in our house have a sentimental value: they remind us of travels, of the people who offered them to us or from whom we have inherited them; and the great majority of paintings are in fact by Susanna.”

The couple are well accustomed to being surrounded by beautiful things, having lived in Venice and Paris thanks to Susanna’s profession as an architect.

“We collected a lot of our paintings while living in France, including those by Elie Halevy and Christine Crozat,” says Susanna, “while we found some of our older pieces in Italy, including an Art Nouveau mirror ball from Naples and an architectural sketch by Cencio Eulisse in Venice.”

The Verdis have also shopped extensively around the world, from Guatemala and Mexico, to Bhutan and Morocco; a lamp made from a sculpture by Arizona-based artist Agnese Udinotti, another sculpture by Ali Maimoune in Morocco: the diversity is rich and unexpected.

But of all the places they have travelled to, London is their favourite city by far thanks to its excellent galleries and museums. In 2012, they discovered this four-storey Victorian house a stone’s throw from Portobello Road’s famous antiques and collectables market; as well as having a buzzing location, the house had plenty of room for their growing children and collections. “Susanna and I both love the character of these old properties,” explains Daniele. “This one belonged to antique dealers so it was very warm and cosy. Luckily the former owners hadn’t renovated it much so the house still had many of its original features including the lovely floorboards and cornices.”

Brent Darby / Narratives

A colourful souvenir from Oaxaca, Mexico

Brent Darby / Narratives

A sketch by the owner’s son sits next to a book of Matisse’s cutouts

Brent Darby / Narratives

Finds from a Paris flea market and a street in south-west London

Brent Darby / Narratives

The stairs and balustrade are painted bright red

Brent Darby / Narratives

The living room, painted in Calke Green by Farrow & Ball, and a painting by Susanna

During the renovation, the Verdis stumbled upon two talented designers: Saul J Grant, a lighting specialist, and Mike Doveton, a carpenter, who have helped the couple equip every room in the house with individual pieces using reclaimed timbers and industrial fittings. “They also worked together on many pieces including the shelf and pan rack in our kitchen,” explains Daniele.

As the house progressed the Verdis’ precious pieces – including Baroque Solomonic columns, a Venetian painted sideboard, and 17th-century Italian gilt mirrors – were gradually brought out of storage. Meanwhile other objects have been acquired where needed, such as the imposing dining table, made by Sir William Bentley Billiards, which also serves as a workbench for Susanna’s and the children’s art and which with a few swift manoeuvres transforms into a snooker table. Quirky touches such as this and the vibrant Farrow & Ball colour scheme shows that this couple are not afraid to be bold within the confines of an older property.

‘The Victorians were a playful lot,’ says Susanna. ‘They experimented with design and colour, and added their own twist on older styles, which is how we’ve decorated. We respect the building but we are not afraid of expressing ourselves within it, or living fully in it. Our children will always have a home here, but we encourage each of them to go out, to travel and to discover what inspires them, whether it be on their doorstep or across the oceans.’